Multiuser audiovisual control

• US 9,473,822 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Phuc H., Bruhn, Christopher William
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul S
• Application Number:
  US14/942,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 381/77, 381/81, 381/182, 381/306, 725/27
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

Various audiovisual presentation arrangements are described. In some embodiments, a headset is configured to output audio to a user. A television receiver may be configured to output a plurality of video feeds for simultaneous presentation by a display device. Each video feed of the plurality of video feeds may be displayed in a different display region of the display device. The television receiver may receive a command indicative of a video feed of the plurality of videos feeds that the user is viewing on the display device. Based on the command, the television receiver may output, to the headset, an audio feed that corresponds to the video feed the user is viewing.

Claims

1. An audiovisual control device, comprising:

an audio control unit that allows a plurality of audio streams to be output to a plurality of devices;

an interface to control a plurality of video streams being output for presentation via one or more display devices;

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a first command selecting a first video feed that a first user is viewing on a display device;

based on the first command, output a first audio feed that corresponds to the first video feed to a first audio output device associated with the first user;

receive a second command selecting a second video feed that a second user is viewing; and

based on the second command, output a second audio feed that corresponds to the second video feed to a second audio output device associated with the second user.

2. The audiovisual control device of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to receive a third command associated with the first video feed from the first user.

3. The audiovisual control device of claim 2, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a video stream lock is active for the first video feed, wherein the video stream lock blocks commands from being executed in relation to the first video feed.

4. The audiovisual control device of claim 3, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to block the third command from being executed at least partially based on the video stream lock being active for the first video feed.

5. The audiovisual control device of claim 3, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

perform a comparison of the received third command to a stored database of command types; and

block or execute the third command based on the comparison.

6. The audiovisual control device of claim 1, wherein the second video feed is the first video feed.

7. The audiovisual control device of claim 6, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a change command for the first video feed from the first user;

determine the second user is viewing the first video feed; and

in response to receiving the change command and determining the second user is viewing the first video feed, provide the second user with an option to block the change command received for the first video feed from the first user.

8. The audiovisual control device of claim 7, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a block command from the second user; and

block execution of the change command in response to the block command received from the second user.

9. The audiovisual control device of claim 8, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

in response to blocking the execution of the change command on the first video feed, providing, to the first user, a recommendation of an alternate video feed to which to apply the change command.

10. The audiovisual control device of claim 7, wherein said providing of the second user with an option to block the change command comprises the option being available to the second user for a predefined amount of time.

11. The audiovisual control device of claim 7, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to, in response to not receiving a block command from the second user, execute the change command on the first video feed.

12. A method for using an audiovisual control device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the audiovisual control device, a first command selecting a first video feed that a first user is viewing on a display device;

based on the first command, outputting, by the audiovisual control device, a first audio feed that corresponds to the first video feed to a first audio output device associated with the first user;

receiving, by the audiovisual control device, a second command selecting a second video feed that a second user is viewing; and

based on the second command, outputting, by the audiovisual control device, a second audio feed that corresponds to the second video feed to a second audio output device associated with the second user.

13. The method for using the audiovisual control device of claim 12, further comprising receiving, by the audiovisual control device, a third command associated with the first video feed from the first user.

14. The method for using the audiovisual control device of claim 13, further comprising determining, by the audiovisual control device, a video stream lock is active for the first video feed, wherein the video stream lock blocks commands from being executed in relation to the first video feed.

15. The method for using the audiovisual control device of claim 14, further comprising blocking, by the audiovisual control device, the third command from being executed at least partially based on the video stream lock being active for the first video feed.

16. The method for using the audiovisual control device of claim 14, further comprising:

performing, by the audiovisual control device, a comparison of the received third command to a stored database of command types; and

executing, by the audiovisual control device, the third command based on the comparison.

17. The method for using the audiovisual control device of claim 12, wherein the second video feed is the first video feed.

18. The method for using the audiovisual control device of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the audiovisual control device, a change command for the first video feed from the first user;

determining, by the audiovisual control device, the second user is viewing the first video feed; and

in response to receiving the change command and determining the second user is viewing the first video feed, providing, by the audiovisual control device, the second user with an option to block the change command received for the first video feed from the first user.

19. The method for using the audiovisual control device of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by the audiovisual control device, a block command from the second user; and

blocking, by the audiovisual control device, execution of the change command in response to the block command received from the second user.

20. The method for using the audiovisual control device of claim 19, further comprising:

providing, by the audiovisual control device, to the first user, a recommendation of an alternate video feed to which to apply the change command in response to blocking the execution of the change command as applied to the first video feed.